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30 September 2008 18:05

Elekta Company Donates Minimally Invasive Brain Surgery System to Ukraine 3000 Foundation

September 30, 2008, Elekta Company, the global leader in advanced technology for treating cancer and brain disorders, announced a donation of Leksell Stereotactic System^® for minimally invasive brain surgery to the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation.

This donation was presented in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Kateryna Yushchenko. Also present were Vasyl Knyazevich, the Minister of Health of Ukraine, Johan Sedihn, Executive Vice President at Elekta, SweCare representative Lars Gatenbeck, and Vira Pavlyuk, Director of Medical Projects at the International Charitable Foundation Ukraine 3000.

“Having familiarized myself with the Ukraine 3000 Foundation work, I was impressed by the broad range of their activities and modern approach to charity,” Her Majesty Queen Silvia said at the ceremony. “I am certain that this equipment will help save lives of dozens and hundreds of Ukrainians.”

Mrs. Yushchenko thanked the Elekta Company and Her Majesty Queen Silvia for the gift. “I’m happy to say that this is exactly how our Foundation’s main goal is being achieved, in part, of its Hospital to Hospital program – the search of reliable partners and modern equipment for Ukrainian hospitals,” she said. Mrs. Kateryna appraised the Elekta’s charitable activities and just another demonstration of the social responsibility of the business.

In his turn, Minister Kniazevych said that the system will be used for treatment of a broad range of brain disorders in one of Ukraine’s leading neurosurgical clinics. “We’ll find a clinic where the equipment will be set and invite Elekta representatives to control over its usage,” he said. “I thank you both as a minister and as a doctor.” Also, Minister Kniazevych said that the Health Ministry and Elekta agreed to hold a special meeting to discuss further cooperation.

Leksell Stereotactic System^® is a system for advanced stereotactic neurosurgery, a minimally invasive form of surgery which allows the surgeon to take biopsies and treat brain disorders with the highest precision and minimal trauma to the patient. The Leksell Stereotactic System has become the system of choice in the whole world for treating functional diseases, for example Parkinson’s disease. The total value of the donated system, which also includes training at one of Elekta’s renowned European reference sites, is around EUR 70.000.

Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated state of the art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group. Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden.

Elekta’s engagement in Ukraine was initiated through the contract to deliver two Elekta Synergy^® systems for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). The purchases of these systems were supported by the Children's Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation, and will be installed at the All-Ukrainian Mother and Child Healthcare Center. These cancer-treating systems are capable of three-dimensional imaging of the patient in conjunction with the treatment and thus allow higher precision and accuracy by minimizing the risk of errors due to patient setup and organ movements.

Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden is staying in Ukraine with her husband, King Karl XVI Gustaf of Sweden for a state visit. Earlier Mrs. Kateryna Yushchenko had a meeting with Queen Silvia, presenting to her the Ukraine 3000 Foundation’s activities.

September 7-8, 2006, Queen Silvia with her younger daughter Madelein visited Ukraine, where she, together with Mrs. Yushchenko, took part in a conference on the fight against human trafficking, organized by the International Organization for Migration.